This year, Pi Day history will be made. March 14, 2015 is a day that mathematicians all over the world have been waiting for, and it is finally here. Pi, in the math world, is defined as a constant used for the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Represented by the Greek letter “π”, it is an irrational number that goes on forever. Pi day is celebrated on March 14 every year because the number begins with 3.14. Although, this year marks an even more special Pi day. After 3.14, the number pi continues with 3.1415. So, with the year 2015 comes an even greater reason to celebrate the Christmas of mathematical holidays! Pi Day is a perfect opportunity for teachers to make learning fun for their students. Websites like Teachpi.org have fantastic resources for teachers to make this day memorable for their students. Here are a few activities that will knock the socks off of math students everywhere:
- Give each student a piece or two of construction paper and assign them a digit or a few digits of pi. Loop the pieces of paper together, and create a chain that will extend all around the room or hallway. This classic Pi Day activity will help your students wrap their heads around how big this number really is.
- Help students work on their memorization skills while competing with other students! See who can recite the most digits of pi consecutively, and give that student a pi-related prize like a pizza or a pie. Students from all over participate in this activity on Pi Day. One kindergarten student started by memorizing 20 digits of pi and about a year later, she has memorized 600 and counting digits!
- Playing Simon Says with the digits of pi is also a great way to help students learn about this important number, while simultaneously improving their short-term memories. Pick students randomly and have them repeat the number after you, adding one more digit each round.
- Since Pi Day is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, take this opportunity to have the students write up a short report or create a simple display about this important figure in history!
- Hold a pie-baking contest, and see who can make the most delicious pie. You can have a panel of judges deliberate on which pie is the best, and then sell the rest of the slices of pie to raise money for a charity or your math club.
- No pie day is complete without all foods associated with pi! Encourage your students to bring in any circular treats they can think of, such as pies, pizzas, cookies, and cakes. If you want to add some educational value to this fun activity, have your students use pi to calculate the circumferences, diameters, and even areas of the fun treats they bring. You might even want to award your students a few extra credit points for participating in this fun group activity.
March 14 can be just a normal day for students, or it can be made into an exciting way for them to gather information about a number that is so important to math. Even though the holiday falls on a Saturday this year, don’t give up this opportunity to help show students how learning can be fun!
